Patentable/Patents/US-9318224
US-9318224

Non-volatile memory device and operating method thereof

PublishedApril 19, 2016
Assigneenot available in USPTO data we have
Inventorsnot available in USPTO data we have
Technical Abstract

An operating method is for operating a memory controller which controls a non-volatile memory device. The non-volatile memory device includes a plurality of memory cells arranged in a direction perpendicular to a substrate. The operating method includes erasing the plurality of memory cells, reading memory cells connected with a first word line using a first word line voltage to search string address information corresponding to memory cells being at an off state, and programming memory cells corresponding to the string address information to a particular program state based on the string address information to store mapping information.

Patent Claims
20 claims

Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.

1

1. An operating method of a memory controller which controls an operation of a non-volatile memory device, the non-volatile memory device including a plurality of memory cells arranged in a direction perpendicular to a substrate, the operating method comprising: erasing the plurality of memory cells; reading memory cells connected with a first word line using a first word line voltage to search string address information corresponding to memory cells being at an off state; and programming memory cells corresponding to the string address information to a particular program state based on the string address information to store mapping information.

2

2. The operating method of claim 1 , wherein the mapping information and data of memory cells not corresponding to the string address information are encoded, and the encoded data is provided to the non-volatile memory device.

3

3. The operating method of claim 1 , wherein the mapping information is stored at the non-volatile memory device.

4

4. The operating method of claim 1 , wherein when all the memory cells are at an erase state, the first word line voltage is a threshold voltage for determining an erase state.

5

5. The operating method of claim 1 , wherein the first word line voltage is higher than a threshold voltage corresponding to a program state of the non-volatile memory device.

6

6. The operating method of claim 1 , wherein the particular program state has a threshold voltage higher than an uppermost program state of the non-volatile memory device.

7

7. The operating method of claim 1 , wherein the string address information is stored at one of the non-volatile memory device and the memory controller.

8

8. The operating method of claim 1 , wherein the memory cells are configured as NAND flash memory cell strings.

9

9. An operating method of a non-volatile memory device which comprises at least one cell string including a plurality of memory cells, a string select transistor and a ground select transistor arranged in a direction perpendicular to a substrate, the operating method comprising: erasing the plurality of memory cells; reading memory cells connected with a first word line using a first word line voltage; searching string address information corresponding to memory cells being at an off state; and storing mapping information indicating that memory cells corresponding to the string address information are programmed to a particular program state.

10

10. The operating method of claim 9 , further comprising: programming an encoding result of the mapping information and an encoding result of data of memory cells not corresponding to the searched address, at a memory cell array.

11

11. The operating method of claim 9 , wherein the string select transistor is not electrically connected with a bit line.

12

12. The operating method of claim 9 , wherein the ground select transistor is not electrically connected with the substrate.

13

13. The operating method of claim 9 , wherein memory cells being at an off state are included in a string where a channel for electrically connecting the memory cells is not formed.

14

14. The operating method of claim 9 , wherein the program state has a threshold voltage higher than an uppermost program state of the non-volatile memory device.

15

15. The operating method of claim 9 , wherein the non-volatile memory device is a NAND flash memory.

16

16. An operating method of a memory system, the memory system including a memory controller and a non-volatile memory, the non-volatile memory including a three-dimensional memory cell array comprising cell strings extending perpendicularly relative to a substrate and word lines intersecting the cell strings, the method comprising: identifying first string addresses corresponding to off-state cells among memory cells connected to a word line, and remaining second string addresses not corresponding to off-state cells among the memory cells connected to the word line; mapping original data corresponding to the first string addresses to first program states; and encoding the mapped data and data corresponding to the second string addresses.

17

17. The operating method of claim 16 , further comprising storing the mapped data prior to encoding the mapped data.

18

18. The operating method of claim 16 , further comprising providing the non-volatile memory with the encoded data.

19

19. The operating method of claim 16 , wherein identifying the first string addresses includes: erasing the memory cells; reading the memory cells connected to the word line using a first word line voltage; searching string address information corresponding to memory cells which are read as being in an off state.

20

20. The operating method of claim 16 , wherein the memory cells are configured as NAND flash memory cell strings.

Classification Codes (CPC)

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Patent Metadata

Filing Date

November 27, 2013

Publication Date

April 19, 2016

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